I know right, I thought I understood the concept of "apparent wind", and that you could only sail slightly faster than the actual wind. I think the increase in difference must have to do with the efficiency of the "fluid dynamics" of that rigid wing as opposed to a kite.

yojimbo wrote:I know right, I thought I understood the concept of "apparent wind", and that you could only sail slightly faster than the actual wind. I think the increase in difference must have to do with the efficiency of the "fluid dynamics" of that rigid wing as opposed to a kite.

The worlds fastest KITER will also HAVE to fly a solid wing. Inflatable kites (all kites actually) have way to much DRAG- Add strings- LOADS of drag, add a person STANDING, tons more drag...Add to that the HUMAN WEAKNESS factor (NO HUMAN will EVER be able to match the STRENGTH/WEIGHT Carbon/Kevlar)

yojimbo wrote:I know right, I thought I understood the concept of "apparent wind", and that you could only sail slightly faster than the actual wind. I think the increase in difference must have to do with the efficiency of the "fluid dynamics" of that rigid wing as opposed to a kite.

The worlds fastest KITER will also HAVE to fly a solid wing. Inflatable kites (all kites actually) have way to much DRAG- Add strings- LOADS of drag, add a person STANDING, tons more drag...Add to that the HUMAN WEAKNESS factor (NO HUMAN will EVER be able to match the STRENGTH/WEIGHT Carbon/Kevlar)

Sorry guys I think your time is up

I think your right about a total redesign of the kite with a fixed wing for higher performance. THe drag of the kite and strings are really one of the last things to work on now.

If you engineered a windsurfing rig ("we need a wider base, we need a bigger sail") and a kiting rig ("we need a fixed wing, we need a stronger tow structure, we need a stronger base") designed for maximum speed it would be logical if both designs evolved into the sailrocket. So sweet